Bagels and graffiti: McDonald’s in another street art row

Images of street art by the Bushwick Collective appeared in a video entitled “McDonald’s Presents the Vibe of Bushwick NY” promoting the fast food mega-chain’s latest addition to its menu, the ‘New York Bagel Supreme’. The four-minute video features six graffiti artists from the Collective hired by McDonald’s to paint its new bagel burger in various locations around the Netherlands.

However, it also includes footage of street art murals in Bushwick created by other artists in the Collective whose filming permission was not sought. Instead, McDonald’s appears to have sought permission from the owners of the buildings on which the street art is painted.

Artists Virus, NDA, Atomik, Don Rimx, Beau Stanton and Himbad allege that the restaurant giant infringed their copyright and falsely suggested it had secured their endorsement. They are claiming profits that McDonald’s derived from using their work without their consent and compensation for damages to their work and reputation.

McDonald’s has removed the promotional video from the internet but has not responded to requests for comment.

The fast food chain’s latest brush with the law comes mere months after it was slapped with a lawsuit by the estate of graffiti artist Dashiell ‘Dash’ Snow in December 2016. Lawyers for ‘Secret Snow’ allege McDonald’s infringed the artist’s copyright when it used an image from his work to decorate the interior of its graffiti-themed restaurants including one in South London.